Almost scary. So easy.
Teams are going to have a tough time scoring on the University of Louisville this season if UofL’s 80-39 romp over Miami of Ohio is an indication of things to come. The long arms, the intensity, the unrelenting press creating chaos for the visitors.
While Rick Pitino may not be blessed with a bevy of good shooters, they are quite capable of forcing mistakes and scoring on defense, collecting 24 points off of Miami’s 19 turnovers. The visitors, meanwhile, were hitting only 14 of 47 shot attempts.
Louisville has held the opposition to an average of 48.1 points per game through the first three games, and less than 20 points in the first half each game.
What made this game different was that the Cards were putting on a decent offensive show as well, making 46.2% of their shots.
- Gorgui Dieng continuing to unveil new aspects of his growth and versatility, making four of six shots, collecting 11 points and nine rebounds.
- Russ Smith hitting five of eight three-point attempts, leading all scorers with 23 points. Empty on steals, however.
- Wayne Blackshear on four of seven threes, totaling 14 points, six rebounds and a steal.
- Peyton Siva with 10 assists to go with two-of-three three-point shooting and six points.
Plenty of reasons to confirm Rick Pitino’s optimism with this team, which totally gets his preoccupation with defense, paying off on both ends of the court.